Deck 12: Information and Communication Technologies Inat Work

Question 1

The ability to work freely and have control over what you produce has been largely impacted by information and communication technologies (ITCs) in that the technology, in a sense, offers even greater control and flexibility. This ______ is ironic because professionals who value their freedom curb their independence in favor of an overarching commitment to the workplace.

A) asynchronous communication
B) constant connectivity
C) autonomy paradox
D) synchronous communication

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Uber collects data on its drivers that include demand, ratings, traffic, and acceptable shifts to determine whether drivers are undesirable. This is a form of ______.

A) algorithmic management
B) data management
C) capital management
D) platform management

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Those individuals that are a part of the gig economy use platforms because ______.

A) the platform helps to limit the distribution of fake news and information
B) they build their own presence associated with the platform to make money
C) the platform works like a high tech monitoring systems for contractors
D) they enable customers to make tax-free purchases

Answer 3

B

Question 4

If we want to reduce equivocality when we communicate, we choose ______.

A) a stable media that allows for one-way control over the communication
B) a richer media that can handle multiple cues and establish a focus on the person
C) a lean media that allows for open-ended answers
D) an alternative communication source that does not involve technology

Question 5

Employees contribute to their own level of workplace stress and anxiety because they ______.

A) rely heavily on the immediate feedback and support to do their jobs
B) are too focused on trying to break through the glass ceiling
C) embrace the extension of work and stay connected to devices
D) believe that staying connected is the panacea to capitalistic pressure

Question 6

Companies find it beneficial to make sure that all divisions share information regardless of location, time, and space. The ability to do this is done through the creation of ______.

A) knowledge tactics
B) knowledge silos
C) knowledge repositories
D) knowledge banks

Question 7

Many employees face work-life balance challenges because ______.

A) employees feel more comfortable completing lengthy tasks at home
B) employers cut overtime pay forcing workers to take work home
C) colonization of time and space have blurred the lines between work and family time
D) the choice to work at home unmonitored becomes more enticing

Question 8

The Audubon Society of Minneapolis launched a new chapter. After five years, the chapter had grown to over 200 members, each of whom had thousands of photos of regional birds. One of the requirements for local chapters of the National Audubon Society is for those chapters to digitally archive images of regional birds. The Minneapolis chapter called upon its members (as well as members from other chapters) to label photos of birds, write a brief narrative, and upload the information to the website. The Audubon Society of Minneapolis engaged in what form of knowledge management to accomplish this task?

A) crowdsourcing
B) outsourcing
C) freelancing
D) crowdfunding

Question 9

Writer Dan Lyons characterized his transition into the tech world as ______.

A) highly controversial
B) unrecognizable and illogical
C) normal for a high-tech world
D) relationship-focused

Question 10

Companies engaged in platform capitalism ______.

A) save millions in benefits, training, and overtime pay
B) are able to build their brand using internal resources
C) shape consumer attitudes using social media
D) don't subsidize work because it is too costly

Question 11

Patti likes the fact that she can take a meeting in a coffee shop, at home, or even in her car as her recent promotion has placed more meetings on her calendar and higher demands for her time. Which of the following statements best illustrates the impact of technology on Patti's life?

A) Patti, like many other professionals are no longer tethered to a particular organizational site and benefit from alternative work arrangements.
B) Patti has resisted technology for so long, however with her promotion she no longer has a choice but to adapt.
C) Patti will face more ambiguity as a result of having to use technology in this fast-paced work environment.
D) Patti will more than likely hire a personal assistant who can effectively manage technology when she is out of the office.

Question 12

The term 'crackberries' illustrates the following.

A) The ability for service engineers to disseminate technology across platforms.
B) A representation of the high-level dependence on digital devices.
C) The power of Blackberry technology over Android technology.
D) The burgeoning field of study called informatics.

Question 13

If I engage in knowledge work, I am more likely to believe that I am an asset to an organization because ______.

A) of my intellectual capital
B) I can complete single, repetitive tasks
C) I need little training for the work that I must perform
D) I am a not a freelancer

Question 14

One of the challenges of populating a knowledge repository lies in the fact that ______.

A) information is hard to fact-check and takes time to validate
B) people are leery of the 'Cloud' and do not want their information in cyberspace
C) some workers may not fully disclose the knowledge as it may lead to additional work
D) repositories only work for nonprofit or community organizations

Question 15

Analytics enable organizations to be more efficient but one of the pitfalls of utilizing algorithms is ______.

A) data management is skewed towards those with organizational power
B) information and data become public knowledge
C) decision-making authority is taken from the hands of humans
D) encoding of the data has been shown to be flawed

Question 16

When Bob first started his moving company, he noticed a significant amount of miles being put on the vehicles. He also noticed that drivers were submitting an excessive amount of reimbursement receipts for gas. He also heard rumors that employees were using the company vehicles to do side jobs and were getting paid under the table. Bob put tracking devices on the fleet of vehicles and began requiring employees to utilize a company gas card instead of submitting gas expense reports. Bob's actions are ______.

A) closely connected to the Fordist ideology of not giving employees too much freedom
B) an outgrowth of the need for connectivity to workers who spend more hours out of the office
C) a testament to how difficult it is to operate a small business without using technology
D) indicative of the changing landscape in which management must monitor employee's behavior and productivity.

Question 17

The mechanics at Quick Oil were used to doing oil changes manually. The company introduced a new technology to help to expedite oil changes. Newer employees who were trained on the technology found that it made their job more efficient. Veteran employees who were tasked with relying on their past experience as mechanics and learning how to use the technology on the job found it cumbersome and found themselves relying on the trained employees for guidance. This is an example of how ______.

A) important cross-training on new technology is for small companies
B) how information and communication technologies guide economics
C) how communication shapes meaning and the actions of users
D) why skilled workers should be able to choose technology they work with

Question 18

The installation of tracking software, recording keystroke, and monitoring browsing history ______.

A) helps businesses to be more competitive in a capitalistic society
B) are forms of surveillance that have become a common organizational practice
C) are viewed as an invasion of privacy and deter employees from using technology
D) make it safer to utilized wikis, microblogs, and social networking sites on the job

Question 19

One of the beneficial aspect of big data is that ______.

A) analytics provide ways to control costs and make predictions
B) analytics ensure that employers are utilizing human capital effectively
C) analytics provide a way curbing misuse of corporate technology
D) analytics aid in better utilizing sparse resources

Question 20

One of the negative consequences of ICTs is ______.

A) unionization
B) turnover
C) theft
D) surveillance

Question 21

______ are beneficial because customers can use a rating scale to rate service providers.

Question 22

A laptop, tablet, or a computer are all disclosure devices in the sense that they allow employers to disclose every an employee does using any of the aforementioned devices.

Question 23

While the classic definition of technology encompasses almost any object, the definition most useful when studying organizations focuses on the use of devices that mediate and construct relationships between the user and the world.

Question 24

Human resources directors may use ______ in order to make the best decisions about new hires and promotions.

Question 25

The more we utilize social media as a tool for exchanging and gaining knowledge, the more detectable our online activities become.

Question 26

As a result of some of the criticism around platform capitalism (specifically related to working conditions), some have suggested that platform ______ should be in place to address the size and power issues of these technology companies.

Question 27

Most algorithmic management is done by humans.

Question 28

Algorithms and data analytics may not always be an ______ tool to use because of technological biases.

Question 29

Users create meaning around technology, which in turn shapes how we use them.

Question 30

A ______ is not a database but a compilation of information from experts, lessons learned, and best practices that can be shared and used to make improvements within an organization.

Question 31

The build of the jobs of the future will include some aspect of technology.

Question 32

Companies build a presence for their own products on a digital infrastructure called a ______.

Question 33

Knowledge management is focused on disseminating information to the general public.

Question 34

Employees that take work home believe that it is only fair that the work environment reflect the same reciprocity in terms allowing employees to bring their home life to the workplace.

Question 35

______ can be either positive or negative depending on the meaning of the individual-organization relationship.

Question 36

______ is an employee's ability to effectively manage their role at work and their responsibilities at home.

Question 37

______ suggest that users look for technology that can support the complexity of topics they are discussing.

Question 38

Social presence theory asserts that we use technology as a means of separating ourselves and maintain our independence so that it is purely the focus on our social lives and not our work lives.

Question 39

The technology we utilize in the workplace can be viewed as ______ because they make what we do visible to those within the organization.

Question 40

Using technology is a political function.